--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is thought which governs the world…" description: "\"“It is thought which governs the world, and all the states in it, and produces whatever is great and glorious in them. Stirring and action is but the h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/marc-a-hight-118981_philosophy_it-is-thought-which-governs-the-world-an_1063238.jpg" --- # It is thought which governs the world, and all the states… ![“It is thought which governs the world, and all the states in it, and produces whatever is great and glorious in them. Stirring and action is but the handmaid of thought, without which the former can do no good, but may a great deal of harm. - George Berkeley (The Correspondence of George Berkeley…” quote by Marc A Hight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/marc-a-hight-118981_philosophy_it-is-thought-which-governs-the-world-an_1063238.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/marc-a-hight-118981_philosophy_it-is-thought-which-governs-the-world-an_1063238.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/marc-a-hight-118981_philosophy_it-is-thought-which-governs-the-world-an_1063238.jpg) > ““It is thought which governs the world, and all the states in it, and produces whatever is great and glorious in them. Stirring and action is but the handmaid of thought, without which the former can do no good, but may a great deal of harm. - George Berkeley (The Correspondence of George Berkeley p. 47)”” Marc A Hight ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Berkeley argues that thought governs the world and that action without thought can be harmful, emphasizing the primacy of ideas. **In simple terms:** Thought leads, action follows; think guide actions with thought. Key Takeaway Philosophy;Mind;Thought;Action;Causality Themes Epistemology Ethics Human agency Mood statement philosophical Type Philosophy:1 Thought:1 Philosophy of Mind:0 George Berkeley:0 Governs World:0 Thought Governs:0 Handmaid Thought:0 When to use this quote - Thought alone may be insufficient Key Concepts Decision making Creative endeavors Moral responsibility Questions to Reflect On - reflective - inquisitive A Different Perspective How do you balance thought and action?;Can thought be misused? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [Speech is the mother, not the handmaid, of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/speech-is-the-mother-not-the-handmaid-of-thought/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [“At first she felt overwhelmed by the house, its airy symmetry its silence. 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